For one fleeting moment Tuesday night, the Atlanta Hawks looked up at the SBC Center's overhead scoreboard and envisioned the possibilities.

They had a 13-point lead over the defending NBA champion, leaving them three quarters removed from not only their first victory of the season but also a huge upset. Al Harrington, as stunningly, was on pace for 88 points.

DALLAS -- Always one to pay attention to detail, Mavericks coach Avery Johnson opened Wednesday's practice in preparation for Friday's home game against Golden State by reminding his players of the value of rebounding the basketball.

Johnson stressed how much the Warriors have improved and emphasized that rebounding would be crucial because the Warriors "can embarrass you with the way they play offense and the way they score."

Coming on the heels of Monday's impressive 49-30 rebounding margin in a 102-80 win over the Indiana Pacers, the Mavs are 16-2 when they outrebound their opponents. And they're 11-1 when center Erick Dampier has four or more offensive rebounds.

At the time, the Nets were as bad as their 9-12 record indicated, their stars were stuck in neutral and there was no relief in sight -- at least in terms of a punch guy off the bench who could inspire them and make them feel that basketball was more than a three-man tug-and-drag toward mediocrity.

Scott Padgett shot 5-for-5 from the 3-point line that night against Denver, and the Nets haven't looked back since. They have won seven straight games, and in every one of those victories, one or two or three reserves have provided meaningful contributions.

Milwaukee Bucks point guard T.J. Ford is not at all happy that he is going to be sidelined for two or three weeks with a left foot injury, but he knows better than anyone that it could be a whole lot worse.